Harness-pad



E. L. MOCLAIN. HARNESS PAD.

Patented Jen /l/f//I/l/LSI (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDXVARD L. MCOLAIN, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO.

HARNESS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,796, dated January 12, 1892.

Serial No. 390,791. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. MCCLAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Pads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form part of this specification.

The principal feature of my present invention is a turn-bar having an upward proj ection at each end and being pivoted at or near its mid-length to the cap or plate of any approved form of harness-pad. By this arrangementthe barcanbereadilyswungaround crosswise of the cap to facilitate attaching the latter to a cushion or sweat-collar, while the upward projections serve as stops that prevent the collar proper shifting back and forth when said bar is in its normal position, as hereinafter more fully described.

My invention further includes certain minor details in the construction of the pad-cap, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lisa plan of a harness-pad cap embodying my improvements, the turn-bar being shown crosswise of the cap. Fig. 2 is another plan, but showing said bar in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, showing the cap attached to an ordinary sweat-collar. Fig. 4; is an enlarged transverse section of a portion of the cap. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a portion of the cap and turnbar. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show three diiferent modifications of my invention.

A represents any approved form of harnesspad cap, usually of sheet metal and so arched or bent as to fit that part of a horses neck where the collar is applied. B is a turn-bar secured upon this cap by a pivot b and having at its opposite ends 'upward projections C C', the central portion of said bar being bowed, as seen at b in Fig. 3, to enable said ends to have a slight spring action. Furthermore, this bar is preferably arched from side to side, as seen in Fig. 4, to aord an easy bearing for the horse-collar and permit said bar covering or housing in a pair of integral loops D D. These loops are made by cutting four slits in the cap and then bending up the intervening metal, the sides of each loop being rounded off or so inclined as to afford but little opposition to the turning of the bar B. l

E F. are straps or other flexible tongues, the inner ends of which are fastened to the under sides of said loops by rivets or staples d d.

F is a series of transverse slots near one end of the cap, and G is a series of similar slots near the opposite end thereof, said slots being adapted to admit staples or loops 71. h', projecting from the upper part of an ordinary harness-pad or sweat-collar H, as seen in Fig. 3.

To use this form of my invention, the turnbar B is first swung around crosswise or transversely of the cap, as seen in Fig. l, thereby affording ready access to the straps E E', after which act the cap is so applied to the cushion or sweat-collar H as to cause the staple or loop h to pass through either one of the slotsF, while the staple h traverses either one of the other slots G. Said straps are then bent upwardly in the center and their free ends passed through said staples, which simple act is all that is necessary to couple the cap to the pad. The turn-bar is now swung around to the position seen in Fig. 2, the bowed portion b ofl the same affording sufficient ilexibility of motion to enable said bar to ride up the inclined sides of loops D D. Furthermore, this spring action is sufficient to hold the turn-bar practically in line with the center of the cap, but not so rigidly as to prevent it having a limited play both to the right and left, which free swing of said bar causes the horse-collar to have a very easy motion on the animals neck. Again, when the bar is in this position it covers or houses in a considerable portion of the straps E E', and on this account there is no danger of said straps bowing up in the center and becoming accidentally disengaged from their respective keepers h h. The two distinct sets of slots F and G permit considerable range for applying the pad staples or keepers hh, which staples are inserted in the outer slots when the pad is quite large, but are fitted in the inner slots when the pad is comparatively small. In Fig. 3 these staples are so inserted as to distend a sweat-collar H, having a split at its upper end; but by inserting saidstaples within IDO the inner slots said collar will be drawn together at the top.

In Fig. 5 a washer L is fitted around the pivot b to prevent a too close contact ot' the turn-bar and cap.

In the modification of my invention seen in Fig. 6 a circular pit I is formed at the midlength of the turn-bar to admit an eyelet J, wherewith said bar is pivoted to the cap A; but in Fig. 7 said cap has a circular' hole punched in it, and the burr d thereby formed is headed up within said pit, so as to prevent detachment of these two members A B. These tubular pivots, besides bein g light and strong, admit air to the very central part of the pad, and thus tend to allay any inflammation of the galled place on the horses neck.

In another modification (seen in Fig. 8) a thin strip of steel or other flexible material K runs along the center of the cap, and is retained in place by the pivot l). This single strip may turn in unison with the bar B, if desired; but it must be brought back to a practically-central position to enable the cap to be coupled to a pad or sweat-collar. Finally, the turn-bar B is not limited to a cap having the special fasteners herein described, but maybe applied to various other forms of such devices irrespective of their attachments.

I am aware it is not new to pivot a plate transversely of a harness-pad and bend its ends down, so as to attach a collar to the plate for the purpose of allowing a slight swivel motion of the collar; but I know of no instance where a plate or bar has been provided with upward projections at its ends and so applied to a cap as to be swung completely around lengthwise of the same, in order that it may serve the twofold purpose of a collar-stop and strap-fastener. Therefore my claim is not designed to cover a plate or bar having but a limited swivel motion and not serving to prevent accidental detachment of the pad-straps or other fasteners.

I claim as my inventionl. A harness -pad cap having a flexible tongue secured on top of it and a slot near each end, in combination with a turn-bar permanently pivoted upon said cap and having an upturned projection at each extremity,

-within said pit, and thereby coupling said bar to said cap, as herein described.

The combination of harness-pad cap A,

having a slot F near one end and another slot G near its opposite end, a turn-bar B, pivoted upon said cap at b and having upward terminations C C', and flexible tongues E E', secured to said cap and having their free extremities extended beyond said slots F G, for the purpose described.

4. The combination of harness-pad cap A, having slots F G near its opposite ends, upwardly-projecting integral loops D Dnear its center, and flexible tongues E E', having their inner ends secured to the under sides of said loops at d d', in combination with the turn-bar B'G C', permanently pivoted to said cap, for the purpose described.

5. The harness-pad cap A, having slots F G near its opposite ends, the turn-bar B, pivoted upon said cap at h and having upward terminations C C', and the flexible tongues E E', having their inner ends secured to said cap, in combination with a detachable pad or collar II, having staples 7L h', that traverse said slots F G, and adapted to have said tongues passed therethrough, all as herein described, and for the purpose stated.

6. A harness-pad cap havingapairof raised loops D D', flexible tongues E E', secured to their under sides, and a spring turn-bar B, pivoted upon said cap at b and adapted to ride over said loops, and thereby hold said tongues in their proper positions, asherein described. v

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD L. MCCLAIN.

fitnessesz JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAMUEL M. QUINN. 

